The Goal Of Philosophy

Posted Mar 6, 2012 - 8:26 AM:
Subject: The Goal Of Philosophy
While philosophy is normally thought of as the pursuit and love of wisdom, as per its literal definition, there is a far deeper and more important aspect that is far too often overlooked. While this is certainly true, that philosophy is the love of wisdom and can be used to attain better understanding of the self and the world, it is not the goal of philosophy itself. Rather than being merely the practice of engaging in reasoning and the pursuit of the spiritual and the academic, philosophy is an art, but not an art in the usual sense of the word. In fact, not an art at all with regards to the literal definition of art. However, it may be considered to be an art for the purposes of conveying its goal.

Philosophy is the art of dying, and the goal of philosophy is prepare the soul for separation from the body upon death. It is quite literally, medicine for the soul. It is unfortunate that this truth is scarcely discussed, since it is something that effects us all.

Philosophy is the art of dying, and the goal of philosophy is prepare the soul for separation from the body upon death. It is quite literally, medicine for the soul. It is unfortunate that this truth is scarcely discussed, since it is something that effects us all.

Your sentiment here has precedent in Montaigne's adage 'to philosophize is to learn to die'. Fear of death prevents us from living. We are afraid of dying, and that's why we don't want to grow up. We may 'objectively' know we are mortal, but we find all sorts of novel ways as individuals to fool us into thinking we are 'bigger than death'.

Some of us hop on the 'soul train', hoping for heavenly immortality in the afterlife.

Some of us beat death to the punchline in taking our own lives.

Some seek to live on thru grand monuments, a good reputation, or by being hip or 'trend-setting'.

Some seek to live on thru their inspirational 'ideas'.

Some of us 'live' vicariously through our children as if we were 'reborn' in them.

Some us pay money as patrons to have our name etched in stone on cathedrals, opera houses, government buildings, etc.

Some of us seek eternity in each moment through deep meditation.

I mean, look at Mount frickin' Rushmore, which practically screams 'these guys aren't really dead, as long we we keep them (and their ideas) alive in our memories and thru practice!'

Some take Woody Allen's viewpoint, and want to achieve immortality by 'not dying'. In the age of biotech, the reality of staggeringly extended lifespans becomes a more probable reality we will have to deal with.

All of these conveniently distract us from our own, terrifying, individual mortality. The whole crux of civilization seems to rest on the delusional denial of death, and like with any delusion, the more people around you that are deluded, the easier it becomes for you to buy into it.

The role of the philosopher is confront and look behind the ideas, behaviors, notions, institutions, entities, and beliefs held by him or herself and others. For we will find, upon looking behind them, death staring us in the face. The philosopher endeavors to overcome fear and to stare death back in the face with the strength of clear understanding.

After a life of philosophizing, you will say to yourself, in your moments of misfortune and in the moments preceding your death, 'I knew all along I was mortal'. I did not choose to be born and, by extension, eventually expire. By making no claims to my birth, I cannot be claimed by death. How could I claim what I already have'?

The poet Rilke wrote that 'the purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things' - to die to yourself, to tear your beliefs apart and scrutinize them inside and out.

Philosophy is the art of dying, and the goal of philosophy is prepare the soul for separation from the body upon death. It is quite literally, medicine for the soul. It is unfortunate that this truth is scarcely discussed, since it is something that effects us all.

The art of dying, this can be interpreted many different ways, but so can everything else. Death of the false, death of vices, death of ego, small mindedness, death of an idea, etc. Religion and philosophy are closely knitted together, expressions of the same truths. How to live right, how to die right, how to know what is right. The art of dying is also the art of living, the last step as it were. To die with a sound mind, or a miserable death thinking about what could have happened. A full content death, satisfied and optimistic, or an empty death without hope.

The role of the philosopher is confront and look behind the ideas, behaviors, notions, institutions, entities, and beliefs held by him or herself and others. For we will find, upon looking behind them, death staring us in the face. The philosopher endeavors to overcome fear and to stare death back in the face with the strength of clear understanding.

Indeed, for what is death but the separation of the soul from the body, and in that separation the soul achieves Gnosis. It receives all the answers that it sought out in life. For the philosopher, death is the great liberator, form the physical world, and the great illuminator, of all wisdom. That is why Socrates and Plato, as well as others, said that the true philosopher does not fear death. Indeed, they welcome their liberation from the physical world, they look forward to their own deaths, although not in a suicidal kind of way. In fact, the opposite is true.